CANADA—U.S. TRANSPORTATION BORDER WORKING GROUP NEWSLETTER Issue 6 — Fall 2011

From the Desk of Co-Chair Jim Cheatham: From the Desk of Co-Chair Ted Mackay:

My predecessor, Jill Hochman used to jokingly refer to her crystal ball Greetings. I hope that you’ve enjoyed a happy and active summer with family that she would use to report to our TBWG partners on what was happen- and friends. ing in Washington. A crystal ball is probably a good source of infor- mation right now because trying to predict what is going to happen is This has been an exciting year for anyone involved in Canada-US affairs and anyone guest. . So many of the issues we are working on with our many our shared border. It began with the Beyond the Border Declaration made by transportation partners are complex and future funding to the extent it Prime Minister and President Barack Obama on February 4. was in the pass may be a little uncertain.. As part of the Beyond the Border initiative, the Government of Canada con- The status of the Highway Reauthorization Bill appears to be moving sulted with all levels of government, the private sector, community groups very slowly in both houses of Congress. With all of the other critical and non-governmental organizations, think tanks, First Nations, and border issues that are going on in Washington, a new highway bill may not be communities. You can find a summary of these consultations in the report on the immediate horizon. The House Transportation and Infrastructure “What Told Us: A Report on Consultations on Perimeter Security Committee version of the transportation bill is a six-year legislation that and Economic Competitiveness Between Canada and the United States”. reduces funding and makes sweeping changes to the current version of SAFETEA-LU--. In contrast, the Senate version is a two-year legislation We continue to work with Government of Canada partners and our US coun- that keeps funding at the current levels. terparts to finalize the Action Plan for a possible fall release by the Prime Minister and the President. There has been some positive news. SAFETEA-LU has been extended for six months and that means the Coordinated Border Infrastructure The TBWG continues to provide a unique and privileged forum for building Fund continues until March 31, 2012. Until both house of the U.S. Con- on the strong Canada-US relationship and for fulfilling our mission to gress agrees and passes new highway legislation, we believe that our “facilitate the safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally responsible move- current law will continue to be extended which means that programs like ment of people and goods across the Canada-U.S. border.” the Coordinated Border Infrastructure Fund will continue to receive formula funds that will allow our state transportation partners move I look forward to seeing faces, both old and new, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, forward with transportation improvements at our border crossings. November 1-2, at our upcoming TBWG Plenary. A central theme of our meet- ing will be how to advance the Beyond the Border initiative. I encourage your We continue to work closely with our many partners in support of the organization to participate. We are also planning a border tour of key cross- International Bridge Crossing in Detroit. This project is supported by ings in the Niagara Frontier, including the Peace and Queenston-Lewiston the Michigan Governor and stills needs legislation passed by the state Bridges, to see first-hand some of the challenges faced on the ground. legislature to move forward. Recently, the Michigan Governor sent new legislation to the Michigan Senate to move the project forward and the I hope to see you there! international border community is anxiously waiting for the results of that legislation. We at FHWA will continue to work cooperatively with all TBWG Co-Chair Contact Information: of the interested parties to provide the necessary expertise and tech-

nical assistance to make this project a reality. Jim Cheatham: In closing, I wanted to quickly mention the upcoming TBWG Meeting Director, Office of Planning that will be held November 1 and 2, 2011 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Our Federal Highway Administration Canadian TBWG partners always do a wonderful job of hosting these 1200 New Jersey Ave. S.E. (HEPP) Washington, DC 20590 meetings and our staff here at FHWA is looking forward to attending. Bus: (202)366-0106 The TBWG Meetings are an excellent way to stay connected with all the E-mail: [email protected] current issues that occurring in the border community. Ted Mackay: I want to encourage all of our border partners to attend. Attending these Director, Highway and Border Policy meetings are truly the best way to keep current on all the many border Transport Canada issues and your presence will significantly enhance the 330 Sparks Street Place de Ville, Tower C, 27-D, ACGD experience. Ottawa, ON, K1A 0N5 Bus: (613) 991-5981 E-Mail: [email protected]

The TBWG Newsletter is a cooperative publication of the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and Transport Canada for the benefit of TBWG members, stakeholders, and the Canada-U.S. border community

PAGE ONE The Honourable Denis Lebel Border Planning Peer Exchange held in Minnesota Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada On April 21, 2011, the Transportation Border Working Group (TBWG), spon- sored a one-day peer exchange in Bloomington, Minnesota, to facilitate a dis- for the Regions of , Riding: Roberval—Lac-Saint- cussion about border master planning among Federal, state, and regional Jean (Quebec) transportation agencies from the “prairie” region along the U.S. - Canada bor- der. The meeting was held the day after the biannual TBWG Meeting to allow Minister participants to participate in both meetings with minimal travel costs. Denis Lebel was In the U.S., this targeted prairie region includes Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, elected to and Minnesota and eastern British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the House western Ontario in Canada. The purpose of the peer exchange was to allow the of Com- participating agencies to work together and build consensus about moving mons for forward with a potential border master plan process for the prairie states and the first provinces along the U.S. - Canada border. time in 2007, Participants in the peer exchange included representatives from FHWA, then re- Transport Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. General elected to Services Administration (GSA), the International Trade Administration (ITA), Minister Denis Lebel (right) and his wife Danielle (left). his seat in Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the Eastern Border Transportation the 2008 general election, at which time he was appointed Minister of State Commission (EBTC), the state Departments of Transportation (DOT) in Califor- for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. nia, Idaho, Minnesota, and North Dakota, Manitoba Infrastructure and Trans- Re-elected to a third term in 2011, he is now Minister of Transport, Infrastruc- portation, Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure, the San ture and Communities as well as Minister of the Economic Development Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), and the Whatcom Council of Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. Governments (WCOG).

While proudly representing the citizens of the riding of Roberval–Lac-Saint- Mr. Sergio Pallares, Chief of International Border Studies for the California Jean, he has served on Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and Ms. Cheryl Mason, Senior Project a number of parliamen- Manager for the SANDAG Service Bureau, provided an overview of the Califor- tary committees, as well nia-Baja California Border Master Plan that was finalized in September, 2008. as on the executive The plan was completed in close partnership with the Secretariat of Infrastruc- committees of the Can- ture and Urban Development of Baja California and the U.S. - Mexico Joint ada-Europe and Cana- Working Committee. The purpose of the master plan is to deliver a binational -France parliamentary comprehensive approach to coordinate planning and delivery of projects at associations. land POEs and transportation infrastructure serving those POEs in the Califor- nia-Baja California region. Minister Lebel has ex- tensive experience in Mr. Gordon Rogers, Deputy Director of the Whatcom Council of Governments regional economic de- and Planning Director of the Whatcom Metropolitan Planning Organization in velopment. In addition Bellingham, Washington provided the group with a presentation on the Inter- to serving as Mayor of national Trade Mobility Corridor (IMTC). The IMTC is a U.S. - Canadian coali- Roberval from 2000 tion of business and government entities that identifies and promotes im- to 2007, he was a mem- Prime Minister Stephen Harper (left) shown with Denis Lebel, provements to mobility and security for the four border crossings that connect ber of the board of direc- (right) Minister of Transportation. Whatcom County, Washington State and the Lower Mainland of British Colum- tors, executive board bia. Together, these four crossings are called the Cascade Gateway. and forest committee of the Union des municipalités du Québec, chaired the Caucus des municipalités voisines des Premières Nations and sat on the Mr. Gordon Rogers served as the Master Moderator and guided the group board of directors of Infrastructure Québec. though a detailed discussion on border master planning in the “prairie” re- gion. The peer exchange’s final activity was an exercise to brainstorm poten- Denis Lebel was also a member of the executive committee of the Conférence tial next steps in the facilitation for the collaboration and coordination efforts régionale des élus du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and chairman of Comité de that will take place in the future. transport de la région du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, as well as serving as a member of the natural resources and transportation committees. The John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center was on hand to document the Peer Exchange. Mr. Jared Fijalkowski, Community Planner with He has also held positions as president of the CLD du Domaine du Roy, vice- the Volpe Center served as a reporter for the event and prepared a detailed president of the Société d’aide au développement des collectivités Lac-Saint- white paper. To view the white paper, please visit the TBWG Meetings Jean Ouest and chairman of the Association touristique régionale du Sague- Archive page. nay–Lac-Saint-Jean’s international marketing program. In addition, he served as vice-president of the Agence régionale de santé du Saguenay–Lac-Saint- Jean and a member of the air transport committee for the regions of Quebec.

Known as well for his many years of active involvement in the Traversée internationale du Lac-Saint-Jean, Minister Lebel intends to draw on his broad experience, attentive nature, open-mindedness and passion for regional eco- nomic development to ensure the regions of Quebec are able to carry out their entrepreneurial initiatives and to rise to their own unique challenges.

Denis Lebel and his wife, Danielle, have two children. This computer produced panographic image shows the Border Master Planning Peer Exchange participants around the table.

www.thetbwg.org PAGE TWO Scenes from the Minneapolis TBWG Meeting

Jack Olson of the North Dakota Department of Transportation and Michael Makowsky of the Chris Flanigan with the U.S. DOT Federal Motor Carrier Saskatchewan Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure presenting on the Border Master Plan- Safety Administration on Electronic Screening during the ning Peer Exchange. Technology Subcommittee Session.

Melissa Miller with the Whatcom Council of Govern- Rob Tardif with the Ontario Ministry of Transpor- David Davidson with the Border Policy Research ments presenting on Border Information Flow of Wash- tation presenting a Border Crossing Performance Institute presenting on the FAST Lane Pilot ington State and British Columbia during the Technology Visualization Demonstration during the Technolo- during the Policy Subcommittee Session. Subcommittee Session. gy Subcommittee Session.

Daniel Lagacé with the Canada Border Services Agency TBWG Participants listening to one of the many presenta- Dennis Counihan with the Customs and Border presenting on National Border Infrastructure Project tions held during the two-day session. Protection presenting on National Border Infra- Updates during the Border Infrastructure Coordination structure Project Updates during the Border Infra- Subcommittee Session. structure Coordination Subcommittee Session.

www.thetbwg.org PAGE THREE Rail Peer Exchange Held in Burlington, Vermont

On May 25, 2011 the Transpor- tation Border Working Group, in partnership with the Eastern Border Transportation Coalition (EBTC) and Whatcom Council of Governments, hosted a Cross Border Rail Peer Ex- change in Burlington, Vermont at the Burlington Hilton Hotel.

The Rail Peer Exchange sought to capture the expert opinion and present analyses of current binational freight and rail operations and share these perspectives with the participants who were present at the meeting.

Participants identified current trans-border clearance levels, security practices/ requirements, and discussed strategies on how to promote current and future rail initiatives that would increase the efficiency of rail service across the border. Major issues discussed included reducing transit times while maintain- ing security, and supporting current and new passenger and freight rail services that will enhance/expand the economic trading relationship shared by these two countries.

The peer exchange was well attended and included representatives from the Cana- dian Border Services Agency, Custom and Border Protections, Transport Canada, Federal Highway Administration, AMTRAK, Via Rail, Canadian National Railroad, State and Provincial Transportation Agencies, private sector and public sector rail associations, and other public and private sector stakeholders.

The expectations for the peer exchange were to Identify policy and infrastructure development needed to facilitate efficient trans-border rail operations while main- taining security. These expectations were divided into two areas. First, to develop a framework for addressing existing obstacles and create a guidance document for rail projects/programs/operations related to trans-border movements to facilitate service delivery and second, to conceptualize plans to enhance/expand the usage of bi-national rail and have buy in from all participants.

Major topics covered during the peer exchange were the current State of Cross Border Initiatives relating to the future of passenger and freight rail service between Canada and the U.S., Cross Border Operations and Security, and current rail freight movement data.

After extensive discussions, the peer exchange participants recommended that a working group be established to recommend strategies that would facilitate the cross-border movement of passenger rail service in an efficient, safe and secure manner. This group should include key stakeholders, including border agencies, AMTRAK, federal, state, provincial and local transportation agencies, and other key stakeholders.

Since that meeting, the TBWG has suggested establishing a Cross-Border Passen- ger Rail Discussion Group which plans on reporting at the next TBWG Plenary Session in Niagara Falls, Ontario. For more information regarding the peer ex- change, visit the TBWG website.

www.thetbwg.org PAGE FOUR